1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods for filling capillaries, and more specifically to such systems and methods for preparing a matrix of filled capillaries for use in screening systems and methods. In particular, the present invention further relates to systems and methods that facilitate the preparation of a matrix of capillaries filled from a standard library plate.
2. Description of Related Art
Currently, screening programs identify potential compounds for use as drugs. Specifically, drug discovery often depends on high throughput screening (HTS) techniques to screen compounds, such as liquid analytes, as potential drug candidates. In HTS, an increasingly high number of compounds, most often organized in libraries, are tested simultaneously. A library of compounds may be stored in a standard multiwell plate, hereinafter referred to as a standard library plate.
Simultaneous testing of a high number of compounds is due, at least in part, to technological developments, such as automated testing, combinatorial chemistry, and the polymerase chain reaction. An increased demand for new and better drugs for a variety of diseases also drives the need for HTS techniques, including simultaneous testing of a high number of compounds.
A current standard multiwell plate or microtiter plate, such as the multiwell plate commonly used in the screening industry for use in HTS, has dimensions of 127.8 mm by 85.5 mm. For the standard multiwell plate, the number of wells per plate, i.e., the density, has evolved over the years from a density of 16 wells per plate to 96 wells per plate, and in some instances, to 384 wells per plate. The most commonly use standard multiwell plate today has a density of 96 wells per plate. The centerline-to-centerline distance between wells in this standard 96 well plate is typically on the order of 9 mm. HTS systems have been developed for use with the format of the standard multiwell plate. However, for increasing throughput requirements and simultaneous testing of more compounds, there is a trend in HTS to use higher density plates with, for example, 384, 864, 1536, and 9600 wells.
The use of these increased density plates present new problems. Particularly, the transfer of compounds into the plate limits the testing process, as the compounds have to be brought in at a high density using various different geometries. Subsequent dispensing of solutions onto these high density plates during the testing process also poses difficulties. In addition, the introduction of robots and other forms of automation in drug discovery has led to new concerns, such as, for example, concerns regarding the speed, parallelization, volume, and reliability of robotic systems.
Current transfer and dispensing systems often rely on glass pipettors with plungers (such as the Hydrasystem™ of Robin Scientific Inc.), needles or pins, or piezo-electric pipettors. Each such system has drawbacks. For example, current pipetting systems include the relatively high cost of pipet tips, which can be substantial in automated testing. The use of needles and pins for liquid dispensing, although less expensive, lacks control over the dispensed volume and does not provide for multiple replicas to be made. Current piezoelectric pipettors usually provide increased control over dispensed volume, but typically are relatively large, difficult to miniaturize, and not suitable for massive parallel dispensing due to their relative expense. Current glass pipettors, although not as expensive, share many of the disadvantages of current piezo-electric pipettors and may not dispense liquid in volumes as small as 100 nanoliters.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a system and process for filling capillaries and preparing a matrix of filled capillaries that substantially obviate one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art. In accordance with the principles of the invention, a system is provided for preparing a matrix of filled capillaries comprising a loader configured to load a plurality of unfilled capillaries onto a first transporter. In one embodiment of the disclosed system, a manipulator is included and configured to collect the plurality of unfilled capillaries from the first transporter, fill the capillaries with a solution, and load the filled capillaries onto a second transporter. A matrix packer subsytem is also included and configured to collect the filled capillaries from the second transporter and feed the filled capillaries onto a matrix template.